Veterans Affairs Strategic Plan

Overview
The New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs’ strategic planning process for veterans’ programs, services, and activities complements the long term planning goals and objectives by providing specific actions for the first five years of the planning period. A team composed of representatives from each major functional area serving New Jersey veterans, including the veterans memorial homes, the veterans service offices, the cemetery, the homeless programs, and the state approving agencies for college and nondegree programs. The team reviewed and analyzed the NJDMAVA Future Plan 1996-2016 and recommended a variety of actions.

Memorial Day salute

Purpose
This plan establishes specific goals and outlines general strategies to attain those veterans’ affairs objectives for the next five years. This plan will enable Veterans Affairs to continue to meet the needs of the state’s veterans population while considering alternatives to long term care for elderly veterans, including adult day care, home health care, homemaker services, and other programs to enable veterans to remain in their homes and communities longer. This plan will further focus veteran services to provide greater access to federal programs and services.

Values
The Veterans Affairs component of the department believes that “Everyday is Veterans’ Day” and firmly supports the New Jersey Veterans Bill of Rights which pledges:

To ensure that veterans are treated with dignity, compassion, and understanding at all New Jersey Departments of Labor and of Military and Veterans Affairs facilities.
To give priority in referral to jobs to qualified veterans and eligible persons. To give priority in referral to training qualified veterans and eligible persons. To give preferential treatment to special disabled veterans in the provision of all needed local office services. To provide information and effective referral assistance to veterans and eligible persons regarding needs, benefits, and services obtainable through other agencies. To act as the veterans’ advocate at all times providing courteous, attentive service.

Vision
The vision for Veterans Affairs is to provide the most effective and efficient services to the veteran’s community, while protecting the status of veterans’ benefits and entitlements.

Battleship New Jersey

Mission
The mission of the department’s veterans affairs programs and services is to provide the highest quality support and assistance to New Jersey veterans and their families. The department administers and supervises the New Jersey Veterans’ Memorial Homes, the Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery, special grants programs and educational assistance for eligible veterans, as well as their dependents. It provides liaison and assistance to veteran’s organizations, commissions, and committees. In addition, it also conducts the Vietnam Veterans Outreach program. The department also evaluates and recommends education and training programs for GI Bill use. The veteran’s service field offices provide direct services through a variety of programs.

Strategic Goals and Strategies

Force Structure
Goal Establish regional health and veterans’ service centers.
Strategy Veteran’s Memorial Homes. Establish a task force to examine feasibility and determine the services and programs to be included in a regional service center. Members will be from Veteran Organizations, VA represen-tatives, and DMAVA.
Staffing/Budget. A task force shall determine available and additional resources necessary to accomplish the implementation. Areas for consideration will continue/expand existing services in the three Veterans Memorial Homes concurrent with the construction of the new Vineland VMH.
Expand the regional health and veterans service center at the Vineland VMH and open regional health and veterans service centers at the Veterans Memorial Homes at Menlo Park and Paramus.
Goal Continue to support close working relationships with Veteran’s Service Council to ensure we serve our veteran population.
Strategy Expand the DMAVA VSO outreach network throughout the state.
Veteran’s Services office to be relocated from Mt. Holly to Willingboro by 1 June 2000. VSO stationed in Port Murray will support a one-day-a-week office in Flemington (Hunterdon County) by 1 June, 2000.
Retain DMAVA as the State Approving Agency for college and non-college programs.
Maintain active affiliation with the National Association of State Approving Agencies through legislative director and committee.
Goal Retain and enhance NJDMAVA’s capacity to provide interment and memorialization services for NJ Veterans.
Strategy Maintain 234 acres of grounds and burial sites at the Brigadier General William C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Arneytown. Interment of 10 to 14 veterans/dependents per day with dignity. Increase the interment capability to simultaneous double schedules of burials on the half-hour from 10:00 a.m. through 3:00 p.m. Maintain the Vietnam Veterans Memorial/Education Center.
Maintain the Korean War Memorial to be built in the year 2000.
Retain and enhance DMAVA’s capacity to provide interment and memorialization services for New Jersey veterans, their spouses and reservists at the Brigadier General William C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery. Also, maintain the veteran’s sections of cemeteries in Kearney, Newark and Vineland. Retain and enhance DMAVA’s capacity to provide memorialization services for veterans at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial/Education Center and the New Jersey Korean Veterans War Memorial (2000).

Mission
Goal Continue to provide veterans training and retraining programs.
Strategy Review all veterans programs and services provided by the state of NJ eliminating or replacing obsolete or ineffective programs by January 2001. Evaluate the feasibility of marketing alternative and/or additional Healthcare Services in accordance with the future needs of the communities we serve, and to utilize the Force Structure at maximum capacity. Report due by 31 August, 2000.
Evaluate the following areas of specialized care for modifications or additions: Subacute Care, Dialysis, Intravenous Therapy, Nasogastric Tube Feedings, Neuromuscular or Orthopedic Care, Oxygen Therapy, Rehabilitated Psychiatric, Head Trauma and Tracheostomy.
Continue Commander’s Calls to ascertain needs and priorities of all veterans.
Goal Develop and implement survey program to determine the needs of veterans using department’s WEB PAGE and traditional paper questionnaires.
Strategy Homeless Programs. Initiate concerted outreach to entire state and surrounding counties by 30 June 2000. Continue to track veterans, voluntarily and involuntarily, discharged from the Veteran’s Haven program.
Office of Homeless Intervention. Develop Internet tracking of veterans and their families “at risk” by 1 December, 2000.
Stand Down. Continue Iternet tracking with VA of homeless veterans and their families.
Veterans Service Officers. Develop communications programs to reach the general veterans population in New Jersey by utilizing “WORK-FORCE NJ IS ONE EASY LINK” and installing a new PC system for VSO offices by 1 November, 1999.
Goal Develop communications programs to reach the general veterans population.
Strategy State Approving Agency. Continue mail outreach program of newly discharged veterans.
Continue to develop outreach tools and materials.
Veterans Service Officers. Continue to provide communications to residents of state with State and County Fairs, Web Page, Media Communications, Military Retiree Days at military installations, Veterans Organizations meetings, and Senior citizens events.
Goal Maintain an active legislative program that reviews, evaluates and recommends legislative actions concerning veterans through the department’s Legislative Liaison and the various veterans groups throughout the state.
Strategy Support the establishment of legislative statute to have all honorably discharged veterans granted instate tuition rates while attending tax supported New Jersey colleges and universities regardless of their home of record by the year 2003. Support the establishment of legislative statute to have all members of the Armed Forces and their family members granted in-state tuition rates while attending tax supported New Jersey colleges and universities regardless of their current duty station by the year 2003.
Goal Develop a plan to expand the capacity of the cemetery through alternative interment methods and/or sites.
Strategy FY2000
Second interment office (temporary). Construction of monument memorial section.
Repair and resurface blacktop areas from main entrance to K North. Install security system.
Construct one section of in-ground crypts per year.
FY2001
Install irrigation system.
Re-roof Chapel and maintenance building.
Construct in-ground crypts.
FY2002
Construct new maintenance/administration building.
Construct in-ground crypts.
FY2003
Rehabilitate existing maintenance building for use as interment/reception area.
Construct kiosk.
Construct in-ground crypts.
FY2004
Expand Chapel.
Construction of columbariums and mausoleums.
Goal Develop comprehensive program for homeless intervention
Strategy Veterans Haven. Expansion of capacity from 70 to 130 beds by June 30, 2002.
Semi-independent and Affordable Living. Expand capacity from 20 to 36 beds by June 30, 2000. Expand capacity from 36 to 60 beds by June 30, 2001. Expand capacity from 60 to 100 beds by June 30, 2003.
Continue to utilize accessing non-state housing for veterans being discharged from program voluntarily.
Develop agreement with New Jersey Housing Authority and Camden Housing Authority for non-state housing by June 30, 2001.
Office of Homeless Intervention. Maintain the capability to serve veterans and their families “at risk.” Develop and implement screening process identifying veterans at risk for Hepatitis C virus.
Continue Outreach to entire state.
Stand Down. Addition of one site capable of hosting a one-day event by November 1, 1999.
Continue to recruit additional corporate sponsors for these one-day events.
Goal Continue evaluation of college and non-college education and training programs.
Strategy State Approving Agency Develop and implement SAA Plan of Operation with regard to evaluation of education and training programs.

People
Goal Implement staffing plan to establish regional health and service centers.*
Strategy Veterans Memorial Homes: Establish a Home Health Care Program which includes a broad range of home based services, such as programs and trained professionals in the fields of nursing, health care, therapy (occupational, physical, speech, psychological etc.) and social work.
Veteran’s Services Officers: VSO stationed in Port Murray will support a one-day-a-week office in Flemington (Hunterdon County) by 1 June, 2000. *The TAG, DCVA provide advocacy. *Maintain appropriate staffing levels.
Goal Cemetery personnel and maintenance services.
Strategy FY 2000
Cemetery caretakers/Senior Cemetery Caretakers for interments and grounds maintenance of Brigadier General Doyle Cemetery and cemeteries in Vineland, Newark, Kearney, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial/Education Center and the Korean Veterans Memorial (total of 30 employees).
FY 2000 - 2001
Cemetery caretakers for interments (2 at each time slot; i.e., 2 at 10:00 and 2 at 10:30). Continue ground maintenance of Brigadier General Doyle Cemetery, cemeteries in Vineland, Kearney and Newark. Maintain Vietnam Veterans Memorial/Education Center. Maintain Korean Veterans War Memorial.
Veterans Haven. Hire an additional four state staff personnel and three mental health professionals by 1 November, 1999.
Office of Homeless Intervention. Hire one additional state staff person by 1 July, 2000.
Semi-independent and Affordable Living. Hire an additional two state staff person and one mental health professional by 1 July, 2000.
Stand Down. Hire one additional state staff person by 1 April, 2000.

Veteran’s Memorial Homes
NewJersey is currently serving its population of 744,000 veterans with three long-term care facilities.

The current Department of Veterans Affairs standards mandates four long-term carebeds per 1,000 veteran population. The Division of Veterans Healthcare Services recommends that veteran’s homes be encouraged to utilize personal care and other non-institutional services. The projected veterans’ population within the state also suggests the addition of two long-term care facilities. In order to be prepared to provide quality care to these potential veteran residents, emphasis will be placed on adequate staffing.

The Adult Day Care Program will provide programming for the elderly within a supervised group setting. Generally included are nursing services, healthcare, social and recreational activities, snacks, and lunch. In January 2000, the Menlo Park Adult Day Care Program opens (if federal regulations are in affect and rate established).

FY 2003 Assisted Living Program -Vineland

Provide the veterans alternate health care services through an assisted living program, which promotes aging in place. In FY 2001, a feasibility study on manning levels for the program will be completed.

Training

Goal Focus on investing in the Department’s Human Resources for quality employee retention. Promote both career development and performance enhancement for all employees.
Strategy

Veteran’s Memorial Homes and Veterans Haven. The Department’s Training Officers will help employees who want to direct their own career path. The Training Officers will develop a comprehensive source book detailing opportunities and requirements for all employee positions by July 1, 2000. In addition, conduct monthly in-service training sessions for all state staff and mental health professionals will continue.

Veteran’s Services Officers. Bi-annual technical training for VSO staff by Chief and Newark Liaison will continue. VSOs will participate in the federal VA TRIP Training Program on TARGET SYSTEM leading to full VA certification.

Training will be provided to develop and maintain quality in all veterans programs and services. In addition, comprehensive training for long-term care personnel will be continued.

At Veteran’s Memorial Homes training will continue to keep facilities in compliance with all applicable regulatory standards for operational effectiveness, safety, and quality. Cross training will occur when the Department of Personnel changes civil service job descriptions. Training will be developed in accordance with work defined responsibilities.